The Role of Gods in Homer’s the Odyssey

It is the idea of ​​a supreme being that is held at the center of many religious beliefs and practices throughout the world. The Earth is constantly moving, our climate is changing incalculably, and people and human and civil activities are constantly developing and evolving. This begs the question, what is the cause? Others, on the other hand, can be put forward as science, and some things as mere existence. For many people, however, faith provides answers to these essential questions. Men constantly gave thanks to the being they call their creator, who gives them life and is responsible for their every spirit. In ancient Greece the governments of the wealthiest citizens did this very thing; praising the names Gods who brought something crucial. to their existence. They play a very significant role in the play of the story. It remains to be seen whether Odysseus would have been able to return to Ithaca without the goddess Athena or not. Although Athena favored Odysseus during the voyage, other gods such as Poseidon, Calypso, and Circe made it difficult for Ulysses to return home. /a>. Thus Odysseus made his journey. While Athena helped Odysseus survive the most difficult times, other gods exacerbated the dangers of Odysseus’ voyage.

Athena, the goddess of wisdom, helps Olysseus and Odysseus and his family in many ways. At the beginning of the poem, Athena prays to her father Jupiter to help Ulysses on his journey, so that he can go the house of his family. He says “the heart of Odysseus breaks, the seasoned veteran so long cursed by fate” (Homer 79). In the first, Athena takes the form of Ulysses’ friend Mentes. He tells Telemachus, Odysseus’ son, that his father is still alive, and advises Telemachus to sail to Pylus and report his father to Sparta. Athena tells Telemachus, “Odysseus is not dead. He lives somewhere. Thus, from the beginning of the epic poem, we see that Athena is helping Telemachus’ father. She also gives Telemachus confidence and help. Moreover, Athena’s generosity is explained in Howard Clarke, The Art of the Odyssey.Clarke mentions that Telemachus is encouraged. Athena encourages him to be so timid, to rely on the god’s help… (Clarke 35). possible way, as Clarke explains in his book. This is why the matron disguises herself, and as an eagle Telemachus and his men sail to Nestor, the king of the city, to know Ulysses In addition, Athena prepares Telemachus for heroism. That is, Athena wants to establish a heroic reputation for Telemachus. Clarke indicates that Telemachus needs “experience in a certain way.” an experience which he had never known in Ithaca. (34). In this example we see that the goddess not only provided Telemachus with moral support, but also advised him of his fame. Moreover, Athena provides support for Odysseus throughout the voyage. To illustrate, when Odysseus is stranded in Scheria, the Phaeacian island, Athena sees him as beautiful, so Nausicaa, the Phaeacian queen, falls in love with Ulysses and helps him way home. Athena also transforms herself thousands of times to help Odysseus. For example grace, in the seventh of Olyssea, Athena dresses herself as young girls and Iliad helps Phaeacus the king Athena tells Ulysses: “Good old stranger… This is the very palace you are after – I have led you all the way. Here you will find our beloved queen of the gods… Go ahead, have at it. there is nothing to fear” (Homer 181). Here again we see Odysseus leading the way to Athena. In Emile Mireaux’s, In daily life in the Time of Homer, Mireaux comments on the leadership of Athena. Mireaux asserts that gods like Athena “establish relations in different ways [with mortals], as leaders and counselors and as it were guardians …” (26). That is, Greek di relations with mortals in establish the land and that men may enter on the right path. Athena pretends to be a shepherd when Odysseus reaches Ithaca. He informs Odysseus that he wants to take his wife Here we can see the importance of the goddess Athena in the life of Odysseus. Athena pretends to Ulysses that he is an old man. Homer says this, “in the soft limbs the skin softens, the russet locks bare the head,” and He covers the body of the old man… with wrinkles…” (Home 300). instead of the text, it reveals to the reader that without the help of Athena, Minerva’s role is one She is also shown to be nurturing and affectionate towards Odysseus and Telemachus, helping them on their journey.

Although the goddess Athena acts as a guardian angel to Odysseus and protects him on his journey, the other gods continually work against Ulysses. return home For example, Neptune, the sea god, becomes enraged after Odysseus blinds his son, the Cyclops Polyphemus. Neptune’s revenge makes Odysseus’ voyage to Ithaca much more difficult. For example, when Ulysses returns with Phaeacus, Neptune sinks the ship of men, and turns the ship into a rock. Neptune asserts: “I will break the Phaeacian peace dromon in the misty sea…. they will learn at last to stop and pursue everyman alive – I’ll build a huge mountain around the harbor” (Home 291). This shows that Neptune wanted to kill Odysseus and his before the men reduced Ithaca. A similar idea was also seen in Bernardus Evslin, On the arrival of Ulysses, mentioned in the version of the Odyssey. Evslin points out that Neptune constantly “…raises the winds and tides against Odysseus (12). Evslin goes on to say that Neptune constantly sent ships to protect Odysseus and gave Odysseus a storm. To illustrate, when Odysseus left Calypso’s island. Ogygia, Neptune immediately “…sent a colossal wave, terrible, murderous, dashed against him…” (Homer 163). his journey from Neptune’s trident. >to stone the safe house to Ithaca. Neptune is not a god anyone would want on their bad side and we can see why We read of all the bitter trials and calamities in Odysseus and of men. It seems that a god is angry who hurts his son. Parents can relate that they really want to do something to their children. I prefer all good stories, and perhaps without Neptune Odysseus’s journey will not be so pleasant.Neptune makes this tale of exploration and revenge even more familiar to Odysseus. The story of Olysseus would have almost no point if it did not contain the many adventures it had; from which many of Neptune’s bad tempers result. Despite all this, Odysseus still endures the wrath of Neptune and finally travels to return home.

The goddess Calypso, the immortal nymph, also confronts Odysseus with many challenges. For Calypso keeps Odysseus captive for seven years. As a nymph and a goddess, Calypso the Fierce brings her eternal husband Odysseus before her. He keeps Odysseus on the island, which delays his mission, and seduces him uninvited to sleep (Homer 159). At that time he offers immortality, but Odysseus refuses. but Odysseus wishes to be united with his wife Penelope. Hence the critics doubt whether Calypso was a virtuous goddess or not. If she had been virtuous, she would never have had a husband held captive by his wife and son for seven years. The role of the goddess Calypso in Homer’s epic poem is to show Odysseus’ faithfulness to his wife. Ulysses stranded on an island with beautiful goddess but still home he wanted to be with his wife. Calypso shows an intense and almost suffocated lust to keep Odysseus with her forever, thus becoming his eternal wife, dependent on him forever. This is a flatterer of Odysseus’ stature as a hero, a mortal man and having the ability to satisfy a goddess. He keeps Odysseus on the island, which stagnates and suffocates the mission. She even seduces him unwillingly and forces him to sleep. His ability to charm and charm shows Ulysses the powerful immortal power female heroes has in his relationship with to a mortal man It proves to be in . At night he sleeps with her “unnecessarily in caves” (Homer. 159). In her book, Calypso and Circe, Alicia LeVan writes, “Perhaps the need for connection with the feminine, coupled with the desire for home, signifies the need for a female figure in life after < a href="https://e-info .vn/thirty-years-war-worst-european-disaster-since-the-black-death.html">years of war” (LeVan 35). After ten years of service as a killer and destroyer, he must connect with his soul. The emotional absorption when it fades in pain should not be in exile at home suggests that the female virtues of sensitivity, patience , he began to bring home the contemplation, depth, maturity, healing and transformative insight that would enable them to continue. Thus he is reborn by the goddess Calypso. We can look at the seven years of Odysseus with Calypso, how seven years he felt overwhelmed by his need to depend on the feminine, then on the mother, the principle that forces him to meet with the powerless child inside, who surrounds the mother’s care, as well. the inner youth, who is subject to his lusts. This development of Odysseus by Calypso expresses his lack of control as his deeper unconscious takes him and possesses him. And he desires and despises the very union he desires with a woman. For he despises it, because there is no room for manhood in it. John Houston writes in Heron and Goddess, “Calypso gives him a daily life in which he does not have necessary shrewd qualities that saw him through the Trojan victory and subsequent disasters” (Houston 87). Houston said that Ulysses live the easiest life with the nymphs, which appear very life. Appealing. Qualities of sensual pleasure and the movement of Odysseus must be learned, but the life is a kind of death. But Calypso has had no chance to live for seven years to have obstacles against the face and not to be a real husband. on the way home, it appears that Odysseus succumbs. During the seven years that he remained with her, he returned his inner strength to on the journey home. Surrendering only the pain that they had been carrying for so many years was able to let go and let out a cry. He said from time to time that men, we must first fall before we can rise again. The time of Odysseus with Calypso slipped away from a heroic stature, but he certainly rises to be a a true hero and advances in his journey and we see the nymph Calypso reborn in Odysseus.

Like Neptune and Calypso, the goddess Circe, Odysseus and his men also suffered many evils, which delayed the home of Ithaca. When Ulysses landed on the island where he lived, he turned some of the men into pigs. Ulysses said: “He drank a drink, scarcely any cheese, and pale honey. Odysseus managed to escape his spell, by a show of strength he was about to rescue his men and share their bed. He then returned to the hospital with his family for a year. Circe is a temptress who is sometimes victorious just by showing off her strength. To us, the witch looks beautiful, but it is important to remember that she is not. In Olysses Homer writes, “And we came to the island of Aeaea, where Circe dwelt with twisted hair, the terrible goddess of mortal speech, the sister of the magician Aeetes (235). Accurately describing Calypso’s rich environment, Homer carefully renders the symbolic details of the environment within home of Circe, highlighting the link to healing and soothing effects on the wounded body of Ulysses. It also does this to his own. During a whole year in Aeaea, described in the times , Circe provides plenty of food winedrinking abundance of roast meat and sleepy wine He feels and acknowledges the shocked and grieving breasts and urges Odysseus and his people to stay in order to heal and restore their hearts. heals the emotional wounds so they can continue their journey. That great wisdom of the underworld and of the future sacrifice of Odysseus. He prophesies and orders the work he must do. Circe reminds Odysseus of the delightful song of the sirens, that is, a spell that can create confusion and make him forget to make his home. Circe, who is also considered a nymph, is of divine beauty. It is clearly desirable to fornicate, as even Hermes notes how voluptuous it is to share a bed, we are a sensual goddess. Ulysses is aware that Circe is very skilled in the magical art of sex and so he agrees to lie with her unless he swears. This signifies fear and distrust of his lust. Circe’s power to rob Odysseus of his manhood renders him weak in a dangerous bed. Thus it has significant sexual power. Viewed in another way, Odysseus’ power to take immortal life with his ability to take his medicine from the male god Hermes and being bound, are signs of his dominance. She controls the forces of nature and knows when to use the knowledge, power and skill of magic and human sensuality for the benefit of oneself and others.

Although the god Neptune and the goddesses Calypso and Circe delayed Odysseus’ voyage to the home of Ithaca, it can be argued that the labors he encountered made him a much stronger man than he was when he left Ithaca. In addition, we must ask whether Olyssea was really an odyssey, except for the accursed gods who worked against Odysseus – Neptune, Calypso and Circe. But Odysseus would have been able to survive without any doubt if it had not been for Athena. The goddess protected him through the labors that Neptune, Calypso, and Circe encountered. Under the leadership of Athena, Odysseus was also able to return Ithaca to his homeland. At last he was able to obtain justice against the suitors. However, the journey The Odysseus depicts how a man who has faith in God He holds that he can live through his baggage. Ulysses has clearly illustrated that even in difficult and difficult situations, when we feel that there is no way forward, we must have faith in a superior being to help us in the impossible.

LeVan, Alice. Calypso and Circe, New York: Random House Publishing, 1998.

Mireaux, Emile. Daily Life in Homer’s Times New York: Macmillian Company, 1962.